Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-07

barge OF my own next spring, and I'll
take better care Of her after this"
"Oh ! so Miss Nancy is to be Mrs.
John Thrupp, is she?" laughed the
Doctor.
Yes, she is, SIR" returned John.
laughing, too, out Of the Joy and relief
at his heart.
AS he ran down the road to catch the
train that came iingling up the CHATTER
Of the horses hoofs and the bells on
the harness seemed to repeat the Doc
tors capital suggestion, Mrs. John
Thrupp"
The next visiting day, Sunday, John
Thrupp was again going from Manches-
ter TO Pendlebury, on the top of the
tram, to see Nancy. He was earlier
this time. The clock of Pendleton
church struck as they passed. He re-
romombed that, as he passed it again
going back. There was no one on the
bench that side of the car. and John
leaned back with both arms over the
seat and bis hat tilted back off his fore
head, enjoying the sunshine and
easy swinging progress of the car.
1t was like the gliding of his barge,
but emphasized by the regular trot,
trot of the horses. As the road grew
pretty and tree-shaded after the change
of horses at Pendleton his thoughts
went back TO the long summer after
moons he and Nancy had so often spent
together leaning over the side of her
fathers barge as they slipped slowly
through the water below, which was
painted with little dabs of blue and rda
and yellow reflections of the gorgeous
Windsor Castle that decorated the
barge stern and in return threw little
cuIls and flashes of light over the
ideally-green lawns and woods of the
picture.
He and old Battsen, his cousin, were
partners in this barge-the "Get
Away and lived on board. Nancy
lived On shore with her widowed sister,
in one Of the many little red-brick cot
tages that cluster along the various
"cuts" Of the canals all over England.
They generally piled backward and
forward on the Grant Junction Canal,
near Uxbridge. among flat meadows
and pollard willows. It was quite an
exception for her TO have come all the
way to Manchester as she had done this
time. and she had slept on shore each
night, in the rough lodgings to be had
along the canals-with Old Battsen.
But she spent all her days on
the "Get Away" keeping house,
as she called it, for her father /;
peeling the potatoes and wash
ing up the mugs in the gaily-painted
tin basins, and keeping the little cabin
as neat as warsman. Some
times she donned her great check sun
bonnet, and with little red-and- black
plaid shawl pinned across her bosom,
end clean white apron-the outdoor,
full-drcss costume of tidy barge lass
she stored or walked along the path
behind cold Soldier" the steady, pow
eiful old gray, who patiently trudged
along in all weathers, dragging the ca
racious monkey-boat with its varying
loads. He didn't need guiding, not
even in the locks into which he drew
the barge, and then stood, slowly
out of his nose bucket, which
Nancy kept Ike silver, till he heard old
Battsen's opigrammatic but cOmpre-
eIsive ordor-"G' up Sodger."
Then on he went again, gradually
the slack rope out of the
water, dripping, and whipping the sur-
,ncc till 1t finally stretched out taut,
md he barge slowly glided ont OF the
eek. lie knew exactly what to do
without Nancy's "Now then, my Cen
raj I" "Quick march, Cap'en !" or
{" Halt, Soldier /" She used to declare
ihat be minded being called "Soldier"
nore than a flick with a short handled
whip. lie had been an officers horse,
md was offended at being spoken to
like common trooper.
John smiled as he remembered how
Nancy's laugh and the pat she gave
90 Soldier" with her little wet hand
reached him, as she said that. They
we're Just coming out Of the lock below
they had a cargo of I'M
broken fints that time, and he remem-
rerod rs he jumped on board, after
working the lock-gates, just as she slid
it. the splash with which one of the
queer. shaped, white and steely fliuts,
'isplacod by his foot, went into the
canal.
The sunny picture his slow fancy had
-alled mp was suddenly followed by the
rem, mbrance of that other cold
irizzliDg evening a week ago, when it
was Nancy who jumped lightly from
Inc barge to the path, as they went
under the bridge at Stafford. John sat
up suddenly, and for moment felt
SEX and cold as he heard again Che
.plash and quick little frightened cry
With which Nancy disappeared in the
water. black. in the thick shadow of
hat hideous arch. She had taken the
lump scores of times, but this time she
lust missed the bricked edge of the
ath. and before her father, who was at
he helm, could get at her, she went
under.
John, who was several yards ahead
with the horse, saw her rise again be-
tween the slowly-approaching barge
md the brick path, to which she chung;
i.ut before he could reach her and
raw her ont Of the water a spasn of
anguish on the girls pale face and one
long choked scream told him that the
great numbering barge had passed just
me inch too near the edge. and had
rushed, as it passed. the slight form.
ooh, good God !" muttered John,
nd drew in his breath sharply through
MS teeth. Even now it was all over
nd Nancy getting better, he couldn't
.hiuk Of it without shuddering.
How he dived under the barge and
lrew out the now inanimate little body
md lifted it TO the many hands
tire ched ont on the path ; how he and
ter father, white and shaking with
-orror, took their silent, lifelesS bur
len TO Gartside street he did not
learly remember.
He remembered the policeman's face
,learly-a pale face, scowing blue
where the chin was shaved 4; and he re-
too. that NaDcy's curls
lripped onto the back OF his hand in
he ambulance carriage as she lay
in blankets across her fathers
nee. But after his own plunge into
be water everything seemed confused,
md the things done and said were like
he unreal acts and words OF a horrible
lreom.
"But she's all right now" said John
o himself, land when she's Mrs. John